


Art Imitates Life

by Tsaiko



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Underfell (Undertale), Anxiety, Canon-Typical Puns, Canon-Typical Violence, Does it count as the public if its for a figure drawing class?, Explicit Language, Gen, Half-assed physics, Minor Injuries, Multiverse, Nudity, Physics, Public Nudity, Puns & Word Play, Seriously I read the Wikipedia articles, Siblings, That's my level of understanding, Underfell Papyrus (Undertale), Underfell Sans (Undertale), so much explicit language, why are you like this Red?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-25
Updated: 2020-08-26
Packaged: 2021-02-18 13:16:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21961189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tsaiko/pseuds/Tsaiko
Summary: There are many things Edge can expect to see when he cuts through the art buildings to and from class. Naked pictures of a skeleton that looks just like his brother did not make that list. Yet that's what happened.Now he and his brother just have to figure out what's going on.
Comments: 25
Kudos: 73





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Merry Christmas!

Edge didn't usually cut through the art buildings. In fact, he was rarely on this side of campus at all. His degree didn't require any art classes and Edge sure wasn't taking any. There were far more useful classes offered at the University to fill his required electives. 

The art buildings were a little... different than the other buildings on campus. Most of the buildings were in a style that someone had called "Collegiate gothic." It seemed to involve lots of stone and brick interspersed with carved spires and archways. Not the art buildings. The art buildings were all clean lines, angular blocks, and smooth glass. The downside was they looked like someone had plopped a modern art piece in the middle of the setting for a Victorian vampire novel. 

The upside was that space let in tons of natural light. Edge was taking a math class this semester in order to meet a basic requirement. Those classes were taught on the west side of campus and it gave him an excuse to cut through the art buildings going to and from them. The high windows, honey-toned wood, and open spaces filled with light settled something in his soul. The glittering glass art pieces that broke the light into a thousand tiny rainbow shards tossed around the main foyer certainly helped.

He wasn't sure what he'd do next semester. Math had always been more of his brother's thing than his own. The only reason Edge had passed Calculus I was because of Red's help. This semester he'd decided to take Introduction to Statistics to fill the next math requirement for his degree. It was a much better choice. Probabilities reminded him of calculating the odds of winning a fight, something he hadn't had to do since they fled the Underground. It was nostalgic. Edge might even take another statistics class just to fill an elective and to give him an excuse to keep coming here.

Today it was raining. Instead of warm and golden, the light was silver and dim. Muted. It wasn't as pleasant as on a sunny day, but Edge found it had its own kind of charm. Certainly better than the brittle, blue light of Snowdin.

On days like this where the sunlight was absent, Edge took to wandering the hallways rather than cutting straight through the main part of the building. Art covered the walls. Every time Edge saw something different. Here was a wall of abstract paintings: some in muted tones and others almost eye-searingly vibrant. A little bit farther were a series of miniature oil paintings of a still life. After that, sketches of nature done in soft pastels.

He turned down a side hall and almost turned right back around. It was a dead-end, something that Edge was still hyper-aware of for all that they hadn't lived in the Underground for five years. His instincts said a dead-end was dangerous. A trap. Something to be avoided. Edge forced himself down the hall for that reason alone.

The place smelled of industrial cleaner and pencil shavings, paint and archival paper. Edge's shoes, practical loafers that allowed him to comfortably walk around campus, squeaked on the tile floor. In the distance, Edge could hear the droning sound of a professor lecturing. Slowly, his instinct retreated and tension leached out of his shoulders.

Towards the end of the hallway, he came across the bulletin board for what the sign said was a figure drawing class. Most of the drawings were of naked humans. It was odd to look at them. They were so... fleshy. Edge let his eyes scan over them without trying to figure out just what part he was looking at. 

The preferred medium seemed to be dark silver-gray pencil or a more stark black charcoal on white or cream paper. Some of the sketches were very rough. Others were more practiced, showing fine hand-eye coordination. Edge couldn't appreciate the humans being drawn, but he could appreciate the skill of the artist.

Edge was making his way down the bulletin board when something caught his eye. He sucked in a breath. One whole corner was devoted to sketches of a skeleton monster. A naked skeleton monster. The careful rendering of the sweep of their bones was almost obscene. They looked almost too perfect to be real. Edge had to stop himself from reaching out and touching the pictures. It wouldn't tell him if this skeleton monster's bones were as smooth as they looked.

Most of the pictures focused on the ribs, though more than a few were centered around the skeleton's pelvis. Edge felt heat rise to his cheeks. Was this how humans felt when confronted with the other pictures on the bulletin board? That they would so casually display and gaze upon their own nakedness showed more courage and open-mindedness than Edge usually gave humans credit for. 

Then he saw a sketch of the monster's face.

It looked like his brother.

Edge was fumbling for his phone before he'd even fully processed what he was seeing. It was Red. Only it couldn't be him. _It couldn't._ There was no way his brother could sit still in a room full of humans, _naked_ , while they sketched his bones.

His hands were remarkably steady as he took the picture. Then he was sending it to Red. His text was short and to the point. EXPLAIN.

As soon as he'd done it, reason returned. Despite the absolutely uncanny resemblance, it wasn't Red. His brother's bones were not that smooth. A lifetime of hard living had left them scarred and pitted, though the much easier living on the surface had smoothed the worst of the rough edges. There was no crack in the other skeleton's skull. No missing tooth replaced by gleaming gold, an indulgence that Edge would have fussed about more had he not known that the missing socket caused his brother pain. This skeleton's teeth were flat, even, and all accounted for. 

It was still his brother's face and his brother's body though. The resemblance was uncanny. They both had dark circles under their eyes and a certain roundness to their features that spoke of a stocky build. Put them side by side, and Edge would not be surprised if someone thought them twins.

The sudden sound of his brother's ringtone cut through the hall. Edge answered it immediately. "What the fuck am I lookin' at, Boss?"

"I could ask you the same thing," Edge replied. His soul hurt at the old name. He thought Red had left it behind in the Underground, like a worn weapon that had long outgrown its usefulness. The pictures must have really thrown him. "It's you."

"Well obviously it ain't me." The words were short and clipped. Seeing the other skeleton had thrown his brother for a loop. "Where the fuck are you anyway?"

"On campus in the art building," Edge replied. He paced the hallway as he spoke. There was no one else around, so he felt he could indulge in the nervous habit. "It's up in the hallway for anyone to see. They are drawings by some of the art students."

"Well, I didn't stand around naked waitin' for a bunch a' humans to do art," Red replied. His voice was sharp, sharper than he usually directed at Edge.

"You appear to be lounging more than standing," Edge felt the need to point out. There was a chair or bench of some sort draped in cloth supporting the skeleton in most of the pictures. He would swear the skeleton was asleep in some of them. The thought gave him chills. "It looks just like you."

"I know. It ain't me though."

"Fine. Then who is it?"

Silence. Silence loud enough that Edge wondered if his brother didn't have an answer or had an answer he didn't want to give. If Red had been keeping information from him, Edge was going to kick his ass. "Brother..."

"I don't know, alright." Red's breathing was loud over the phone. "The whole reason we moved out here was 'cause there weren't any skeletons. Hell, there was barely any monsters. Just a couple of moldsmols, a family of snails, and that vulkin when we first got here. Then there's the manticore that started taking business classes part time last semester. That's it. That's every fuckin' monster in town."

"Well now there's a skeleton monster." Edge allowed his finger to touch the paper for one of the drawings. It was stiff, and the textured surface was not unpleasant. "Do we need to know who he is?"

"Considerin' he's on campus with you? Yeah, we need to know who he is," Red replied. "Fuck."

Edge knew the curse wasn't directed at him. Red had eased up on his surveillance months ago with Edge's encouragement. After five years, they'd thought they were safe. "This isn't your fault. It could be nothing." 

The laugh Red gave was brittle. "Ya think? Someone starts showin' up at the University you're goin' to with a face that looks just like mine and you think it's a coincidence? I'm gettin' sloppy."

Edge rubbed at the bone between his eyes. The whole reason they'd fled the Underground was so that Red wouldn't have to be on alert all the time. So he could relax before his soul cracked in two. "Of course, this is all your fault. How silly of me. The world revolves around you and the gravitational force of your giant ego."

That got him a snort of laughter. Which was better than the self-flagellation Red had been doing. "Yeah, well. Still need to look into it."

"Fine," Edge replied. "Do it."

Someone walked by the end of the hallway and Edge went stiff. He moved so that his back was against a wall, a gesture as automatic as breathing. Red went quiet on the line. "Boss? Edge?" Then, in a much quieter voice. "Paps?"

The student went by, not even sparing a glance at Edge. He forced his breathing to something more regular. "It was nothing. Another student walked by," Edge replied. He had been a good year since he'd done that. Red was not the only one disquieted by the appearance of an unknown skeleton. 

"You know, no one is going to miss a pile of dust. Things happen," Red said conversationally. 

"Don't." It was an order. Edge tried not to give them too often now that they were above ground. He immediately softened it with an explanation. "Not until we know what we're dealing with. If someone from the Underground has managed to track us down, I want to know."

"Got it," Red said. "You goin' by that burger place on 5th St on your way home?"

"Those things are nothing but grease," Edge complained. Still, he was asking his brother to look into this issue. "I'm not asking them to put mustard on the fries."

"Don't matter. I got the good mustard in the fridge," Red said. "See you in a little bit." His brother didn't wait for a response. Just hung up. Edge sighed as he turned back to the bulletin board.

"Who are you?" Edge asked looking at the pictures. The pictures had no answer for him.

****

*******

"His name is fuckin' Sans." 

Edge looked up from where he'd been reading his textbook for his Classics of Political theory class. He was grateful for the distraction. As far as he was concerned, hitting things until they stopped moving seemed like a much better resolution to life's problems than half the theories humans came up with. Machavelli had some interesting ideas, but Edge was pretty sure they were supposed to be satire. Too bad.

"Your name is Sans," Edge said, trying to figure out what his brother was talking about. Usually he could follow Red's non-sequiturs. This time he was lost.

"Yeah, and guess what? The guy who likes to get naked and have art done of him? Also called Sans," Red said. "I tracked down a couple of art students and chatted them up. Sans is a skeleton. He's gettin' paid to let people draw him. And he's majorin' in 'science'." Red did air quotes on the word science. His voice was filled with disgust. "The art students are idiots."

"Definitely not a coincidence then." Edge's mind was already five steps ahead, thinking of contingencies. "We covered our tracks, but someone obviously tracked us down. A shapeshifter taking your face and your name would certainly grab our attention. Is it a warning or a trap?"

"Maybe neither."

Edge gave him a skeptical look. "You have another theory?"

Red didn't hesitate so much as pause, his mind working through some idea behind his eyelights. A hesitation meant Red felt guilty. A pause? That meant something larger and more complicated, Red working through a theory to see if the parameters fit the experimental results he was seeing. It had been a long time since that had happened. Edge waited.

"So there's this bullshit physics theory called multiverse which says that there's a bunch of universes that exist in parallel with our own. The Doctor was workin' on a machine to try and access them. It was one a' his pet projects. Fuckin' waste of time. How do you even go about testin' something like that? What instruments in this universe are going to measure a hypothetical 'nother universe? Even magic ain't goin' help you with that shit."

"Dr. Gaster seemed to think it was worth spending time on." Edge didn't remember Gaster. A consequence for how the monster had managed to take himself out of existence. What he knew of him was what Red had told him.

"Yeah, well, Dr. Gaster also didn't believe in handrails and fell into the CORE. Let's not set our measure a' genius against that guy," Red said. "He and I always argued about it."

"You think he was right." It was not a question. Red huffed as he threw himself down on the couch, muddy sneakers still on. Edge glared at him until he passive-aggressively took them off. That only made Edge raise an eyebrow at him. 

"Fine. Fuck. I'll put them by the door you anal retentive asshole." Red stomped over to the door in his socks and dropped them in the entryway in a loose pile. Acceptable, if not optimal. "As much as it pains me to say it, the Doc may have been partially right. And if he was, then it could explain the existence of another Sans."

"You think... what? This Sans is from another universe?" Edge frowned, trying to follow the logic. "If that is the case, then how did he get here? You said you couldn't even measure the other universes."

Red sat down on the couch, tilting his head back until he was staring up at the ceiling. "Alright, this is just a theory. Don't think it's perfect or anythin'. But when the barrier went up, magic was trapped in the Underground, right? Sorta like a pocket universe, one with its own rules and its own timeline. Totally separate until a human falls through. Then there's a... a bridge between the two. They interact. The two timelines cross."

Edge tilted his head to one side. "That happened six times."

"Yeah. Only when timelines cross like that, they wouldn't do it neatly. You'd have all sorts a' spray patterns where the timelines bounce off each other. Particle physics only in the fourth dimension. So the number of pocket dimensions multiply, their timelines split each time a human falls down until you get all these fuckin' parallel pocket dimensions being held behind their own barriers. I wouldn't have thought you get much variation, but maybe you do since they all have their own timelines? I don't know. It's all theoretical. I'd have to work through the equations to see if it actually made sense, and I don't have time for that kinda bullshit."

"Clearly not too theoretical since you seem to think there's another Sans from one of them running around as opposed to someone trying to lure us into revealing ourselves." Edge carefully took a seat next to his brother on the couch. Red glanced at him and then back at the ceiling. "You've explained where the universes come from. Now how did he get above ground?"

"Then the barrier goes down." Red made a gesture with hands, showing something collapsing between them. "All these little pocket universes? Suddenly their timelines merge. Only things can't occupy the same space. So they wind up offset."

"We didn't come up under Mt. Ebott." They'd been confused that the mountain wasn't called Mr. Ebott when they first come above ground. Then they'd had bigger worries that the name being different. He'd completely forgotten that fact until Red said something.

"Nope. Just figured the humans had changed the name after all that time. Only maybe not. Maybe there is a Mt. Ebott out there somewhere and some other Underground got lucky. Our Underground got another mountain." Red sighed. "That's the theory anyway. What do I know?"

Not for the first time, Edge wished he'd been able to convince Red to go to University. He could have put off starting his own degree another year or two. They could have continued staying in the shitty illegal apartment outside town to save money. Edge could have taken on extra shifts at the security company. They could have made it work.

Red's excuses had been numerous. None of his credits from Underground would transfer. Like hell he was going to be a freshman again. He'd forgotten half of what he learned. Edge had a better chance of actually completing his degree. Red didn't mind his job since he actually didn't need to do much work. The more Edge had pushed the more vicious Red had gotten about it. Stubborn asshole. In the end, Edge had given in. He didn't want to fight with his brother any more.

That didn't mean he still didn't regret letting Red win. Especially when his brilliantly smart brother said something so self-deprecating.

"There could be more of us. There could be more of... everyone." Alphys. Undine. Muffett. Mettaton. _Asgore._ "Is he dangerous?"

"Am I dangerous?" Red's grin was all spite and bravado. Then he shrugged. "Dunno. Depends on what his Undergound was like. Butterfly effect and all that shit. He could be like me or he could fart petunias and shit rainbows."

"Thank you for that lovely mental image," Edge said. "How many other universes are there?"

"Don't know. Could be as few as six or an infinite amount. I can't do all that math in my head," Red said. "Still don't trust it. Another Sans just happens to come to this shithole? The University is good, but it ain't that good a school."

Edge had a sudden thought, one that should have occurred to him sooner. "You said he was majoring in something."

"Who the fuck knows what though."

"But if he has a major, then he'd be in the student directory." Edge was reaching for his laptop even as he spoke. Red immediately sat up like a bloodhound suddenly picking up a scent. As soon as the laptop was done booting, Edge navigated to the University webpage, signed in, and got to the student directory. He tried typing just 'Sans' into the form. It required a last name or at least the first letter of a last name. 

"So much for that." Red flopped back. "Who knows what last name he chose? Ain't like anyone but Boss monsters have a last name Underground."

Edge looked at his brother considering. Red looked back. "What? What's that look for?"

Instead of responding, Edge navigated to the text box marked 'Last Name' and typed in 'Skeleton.' Then he hit enter. Two entries came up.

Skeleton, Sans T.  
Skeleton, Papyrus T.G.

"Holy shit, he has a brother," Red said. Then he laughed. "I'd bet good money the 'T' stands for 'The.'"

"It's nice to know your terrible sense of humor is universal," Edge replied. He couldn't stop staring at the name he'd left behind now being worn by another. He clicked on Sans's name. "It looks like he's a getting a Master's degree in Physics." Edge backed out and clicked the other name. His name. "The Papyrus is getting a bachelor's degree in... engineering."

"Bet his brother is helpin' him with the math," Red replied. He grinned at Edge's side eye. "What?"

"Asshole." Edge pushed his brother, but not hard. Red only had 5HP. "Now what?"

Red's smile was all trouble. "Now it's time to make an introduction and find out what the fuck is going on."


	2. Life Imitates Interdimensional Theory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that Red knows there is another version of himself wandering around, he wants to meet the guy. Have a friendly chat. Get to know him a bit better. Too bad he can't seem to pin the guy down.
> 
> That's okay. He'll settle for doing all that with the other Sans's brother.

Red had never met the other Sans, but he fuckin' hated the guy already.

It should have been easy. Show up, wait for the figure drawing class to end, and then confront his double as soon as he was leaving. Of course, nothing in Red's life was that easy. Despite waiting outside the class, the other Sans never came out. He always "just missed him." 

Yeah right. Just like Red, the guy probably had a sixth sense for trouble. Red wasn't even sure he was avoiding him on purpose. It may have just been instinct. Either that or the humans in the class had said something to the other Sans about him.

Which meant here Red was again, standing in the hallway in a building and waiting for the figure drawing class to end. There were only so many rounds of Candy Crush Red could do before even he grew bored of it. This is what getting out of the eavesdropping business got him. Boredom. He never thought he'd say this, but even his damn job was more entertaining than this.

Worst of all, the bulletin board had been updated. Before all the sketches had been in grayscale. Easy enough to ignore. Now they were in color, which tended to catch Red's eye no matter how many times he tried to not focus on them. A substantial number of the drawings featured the other Sans's bones. Some of the students were obviously having problems rendering white. If the other's Sans's bones really were that chalky looking he needed to see a doctor. It was terrible. 

A few of the students were much better at it than the others. One had put some warmer undertones in, highlighting them with shades of gold. A few others had gone with a slightly cooler palette, soft white that shaded into blue shadows. Red wasn't much into art, but he could appreciate the aesthetics of a pristine set of bones.

Was that what the other Sans's magic looked like? Yellow? Blue? Or were the colors just artistic license? Most everyone in their Underground had red based magic. It was a side effect of stacking LV and being filled with desperation to survive. Red didn't remember what color his magic had been before. He didn't remember what Edge's had been either.

Fuck. Red needed to stop staring at some naked skeleton's bones. Even if they were kind of his bones. Especially since they were his bones. It was weird in a bad, interdimensional clone sort of way. And it was making him fucking maudlin.

He heard shoes coming down the hallway long before he saw anyone. Red tensed. Breath in. Breath out. It was just a human. No one was trying to kill him. Stupid instincts.

"Excuse me." Red turned to greet the human, smiling his best shark toothed smile. Usually that was enough to dissuade people from speaking to him. Usually. This human with thick glasses, red hair, and a jacket one size too big seemed to be made of sterner stuff. "Are you Papyrus?"

Red froze. "What makes you say that?"

"Sans is always talking about his brother and... you look just like him..." The human trailed off as if their survival instincts had kicked in about 60 seconds too late. Red's grin turned downright feral.

"Yeah, no, I ain't his brother," Red replied. At that point he fully expected the human to leave. No such luck. Though maybe he could use that to his advantage. "Do you know where he is? Sans? Been lookin' for him for awhile."

"Oh. I'm sorry. He's already left. You just missed him."

Story of his life. Funny how Red always seemed to 'just miss' the guy. "Thanks for the tip." He should just leave, but Red had never been one to just let something go. "Little hint though. Just because I'm a skeleton doesn't mean I'm related to every other skeleton, got it?" Red didn't wait for an answer. Instead, he turned sharply and stormed out. His shoulder blades itched the entire way. He ignored it.

Outside the sun was shining, which should have put Red in a better mood. It didn't. If he was pissed the weather should reflect that. He should have taken another shift at the garage. It would have been more productive than this bullshit and Red wouldn't have had to deal with so many humans. He didn't know how his brother managed it. His skin was crawling just hanging around them and he didn't even have any skin.

His eyes were drifting over the crowds, automatically cataloging people as threats. Judging them. Weighing their souls. Red didn't let his eyes rest on anyone too long. It would be too easy to let the Judge out on the humans. A bad idea too. He liked this town and Edge would kill him if they had to move because Red accidentally started a riot on campus.

A sudden flash of red caught his eye, and Red stopped. There was a skeleton striding along the sidewalk, heading the opposite direction. Edge? That didn't make sense. Red had his brother's schedule memorized and Edge should be in class. Not walking across the quad right outside the art building like he was getting ready to storm a Bun stronghold.

A second later he realized it couldn't be Edge. Even at this distance there was something off about his gait. This guy was confident, but he didn't have the knowledge that there was no threat in the area that he couldn't put down that Edge had. Not his brother then, but the other Papyrus. Well. Well. Well. Wasn't this convenient? 

The other skeleton didn't seem to be looking for him, which was the only reason Red wasn't more suspicious. It made sense though. The other Papyrus had been in the student directory. Of course he would be on campus. 

Maybe Red had been going about this all wrong. Maybe to get to the other Sans, he needed to get to the other Papyrus first. Let's see that asshole dodge this.

With a grin that was all trouble, Red took a shortcut right next to the other Papyrus. It did not escape his notice that this Papyrus did not flinch at the sound of his teleport. As if he was used to a certain someone just appearing beside him. He automatically shortened his stride so Red could keep up. "SANS, WHAT HAVE I TOLD YOU ABOUT... you're not Sans."

"Eh. You could say that," Red replied. "Been tryin' to find Sans though. He keeps avoidin' me, so I figured I'd come talk to you. You're Papyrus, right?"

"YES. I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS." Papyrus stepped off the sidewalk onto the grass before stopping. Red stood in the middle of the sidewalk. If humans wanted to walk here, they could go around him. "WHAT IS YOUR NAME?"

"Let's go with Red." Red could feel his smile go a little rueful before he pushed it back into an easy grin.

"DOES HE OWE YOU MONEY?" Papyrus asked. Red laughed. Obviously, some things were universal. "I DO NOT MAKE IT A HABIT OF GETTING INVOLVED IN HIS DEBTS."

"Nah, doesn't owe me anythin'." Red's fingers twitched with the urge to check this Papyrus. He resisted. If he checked him, then this Papyrus could check him back. That was just basic monster manners. And just because Red didn't always follow them, didn't mean others wouldn't. He didn't want to reveal who he actually was just yet. "Where you headin'? Maybe I could walk with you until we find Sans."

"MY BROTHER CAN RARELY BE FOUND WHEN HE IS ON CAMPUS. IT'S A LOST CAUSE."

Red blinked. Was that... He looked at Papyrus's face and realized, yes, that was a pun. This Papyrus told puns. Red's smile turned briefly genuine. "Good one."

"THANK YOU." Papyrus preened a bit. Red felt a surge of affection which he promptly tried to ignore. Not his brother. This guy was a stranger. He needed to keep reminding himself of that. "I WAS PLANNING ON HEADING BACK HOME AND WAITING FOR MY BROTHER THERE."

Danger signals flashed through Red's brain. This monster was a complete stranger, and Red was a complete stranger to them. Why make that offer if they didn't have something set up? What did he know that Red didn't? Walking into their home turf was as good as walking into a dustbin.

Then again, Red wasn't planning on actually going that far with Papyrus. Just away from prying eyes. He didn't want the other's company. He wanted answers. 

"Sounds like a plan," Red said, keeping his voice casual. "Do you mind company?"

"OF COURSE NOT. YOU ARE WELCOME TO COME," Papyrus replied. "WE CAN WALK THERE."

"Lead the way."

They left campus proper and cut down a side street. The sound of people faded away. Red quickly checked his surroundings. It had a lot more hiding spots than he liked when starting a fight, but Red had been watching Papyrus the whole time. He hadn't done anything to call for reinforcements or indicate that there was an ambush set up. There were no humans watching, and Red had no idea how close Papyrus's apartment was to campus. It fit his three rules for a place to start a fight: big enough he could pull his blasters, open enough that no one could get behind him, and no kids around to get hurt. This was his chance.

He dropped back slightly, a move that would have set off every alarm his brother had but which this Papyrus didn't even seem to notice. Red pulled his magic to him. No blasters or anything. Just a bone attack. His instincts were screaming that this was Papyrus – his Papyrus, his brother – and he couldn't go all in. He flinched from the thought.

Fucking sentimental bullshit. He should have known. One minute Papyrus was walking in front of him. The next thing Red knew he was on the ground with a bony knee in the middle of his back, his arm wrenched up at an angle that promised pain with very little effort, and concrete digging into the side of his skull. He threw his bone attack by instinct alone, feeling it hit, but it did only scratch damage. 

There was no KR, because there was nothing for KR to bite into. No LV. He should have brought out the big guns from the beginning. This is what he got from fighting fair. Red deserved to get his ass kicked.

A check washed over him. "SO YOU ARE SANS AS WELL. SANS DID SAY THERE COULD BE MORE OF US AROUND."

"Fuck you," Red said. The whine of a blaster was loud. He expected pain. That's how Edge would have dealt with him pulling a blaster. This Papyrus didn't force his arm up until it screamed in his socket though. Instead, he put his hand on the collar around Red's neck.

The dissonance from that touch made Red's breath catch. It was his brother. It wasn't his brother. The magic crackled and sung with the paradox. All Red could hear was static in his head, an overwhelming white noise that shattered his concentration. The blaster scattered like so much dust.

"I THINK YOU'VE LEARNED YOUR LESSON. NOT EVERYTHING CAN BE SOLVED WITH VIOLENCE." Papyrus leaned harder on the collar, and harder on Red's back. Red fought for breath. His HP stayed steady even as his lungs screamed and the pressure in his head built. Holy shit. "I'M GOING TO CHOOSE MERCY. ONCE I HELP YOU UP, WE'RE GOING TO PRETEND THIS DIDN'T HAPPEN. UNDERSTAND?"

"Mmf." It was the best response Red could come up with, given the circumstances. 

"I'M GLAD YOU AGREE." The pressure on his back let up, though Papyrus was still touching his collar. Red sucked in a desperate breath. Fucking instincts. "SANS DOES NOT BELIEVE THAT FIGHTING CAN HELP YOU GET TO KNOW SOMEONE, BUT I FEEL LIKE WE HAVE A MUCH BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF EACH OTHER NOW. DON'T YOU?"

"Yeah." The static from Red's thoughts dropped away along with Papyrus's hand. He came up quickly, shortcutting to put distance between himself and Papyrus. Papyrus didn't seem inclined to chase him. In fact he didn't even get to his feet. Like Red wasn't a threat. "What are you... what the fuck happened to your hand?"

"LANGUAGE," Papyrus scolded. Then he looked down at his fingers. The bone looked scorched, cracked, and blistered. "IF I KNEW I WAS GOING TO BE GRABBING ONTO SOMEONE ELSE'S MAGIC, I WOULD HAVE WORN GLOVES."

Red had the urge to take Papyrus's hands and heal them. Which was ridiculous. First, he was a lousy healer. Second, this was not his brother. His damn instincts could accept that fact any fucking day now. 

That didn't stop him from throwing a Check though. He was right. No LV. But this was Papyrus – or a Papyrus – and even without LV his base HP was ridiculous. _Papyrus is wondering why you don't go by Sans._

Because they had thought that this was a chance at a new life. A new start that deserved new names. Guess the Underground caught up to them even above ground. 

"Now what?" Red asked, rather than address Papyrus's unasked question.

"YOU ARE STILL WELCOME TO WAIT FOR SANS AT OUR HOUSE," Papyrus said. "IF THERE IS SOMEONE YOU NEED TO TEXT TO LET THEM KNOW WHERE YOU ARE, I CAN GIVE YOU THE ADDRESS."

"Why?" Red asked. 

Papyrus got to his feet, slowly and deliberately. Red tensed. He didn't pull a weapon though. The magic for a shortcut was only a single intent away. "BECAUSE YOU ARE SANS. NOT MY BROTHER SANS. A SANS?" Papyrus looked thoughtful. "I BEGIN TO SEE THE ADVANTAGE OF USING A NICKNAME WHEN THERE ARE MORE THAN ONE OF YOU."

Red wasn't going to mention that he and Edge had picked out their new names long before they'd known there were more of them. That wasn't the point. "And you think cause I'm a Sans I'm... what? Reliable? Trustworthy? Ain't gonna shank you?" He laughed even though the joke wasn't that funny.

When Papyrus looked up at him, stubborn and proud, it was like looking at his brother from years ago. Before the crack. Before the LV. Before he'd realized the world was shit. Red felt it like a kick to his soul. "I BELIEVE IN YOU SANS."

Red rubbed his hands over his face. Papyrus just watched him, and Red got the feeling that he would be supportive no matter which answer he got. Which pretty much decided Red. What the hell. No one ever said he was the thoughtful, rational brother. What did he have to lose?

"Alright then. Let's go to your place."

***

going 2 other sans & paps house.

NO. 

too late. 5491 oak ave. come over when ur done with class.

DAMMIT.

***

To be honest, Red wasn't sure what he was expecting when he followed this Papyrus down the street. He and Edge were crammed into a basement apartment that was probably not up to code, and had had more things wrong with it than right when they first moved in. It worked for them because it was a) cheap and b) near the university. Red had only had to have a friendly chat with the landlord once when the air conditioner broke in the middle of July. After that things miraculously got fixed. Edge had been certain that their lease wouldn't be renewed. It had. He guessed there was something to be said about quiet, reliable tenants that always paid their rent in cash on time. What was a little threat of violence compared to rental income that couldn't be traced by the IRS?

This Sans and Papyrus obviously had more money to throw around. They lived in an actual apartment complex, complete with a swimming pool and club house. The grass was mowed, the buildings maintained, and there was a sign out front that said "If you lived here, you'd be home already." 

"IT SHOULDN'T BE LONG BEFORE SANS GETS HOME," Papyrus said. If turning his back to Red to open the door bothered him, Red couldn't tell. He opened the door and stepped inside. Every instinct Red had told him not to go in without summoning an attack. Red ignored them.

There was no encounter started. No unexpected Check. No trap. No surprise ninjas falling from the ceiling to attack Red. Inside was a standard apartment with white walls, neutral beige carpet, the cheapest blinds possible, a couch, and a recliner that looked like it had been rescued from the side of the road. Seemed legit. His instincts could go fuck themselves.

"DO YOU WANT ME TO HEAL YOUR CHEEK?"

Red couldn't help flinching away from Papyrus at the words. Papyrus didn't reach for him. Just watched him with something like pity in his eyes. Fuck this guy. He didn't need this soft version of his brother pitying him.

"Nah. I'm good." Red deliberately flopped down on the couch, sprawling in a way that showed he didn't see any threats. False bravado. Then he noticed how Papyrus cradled his hand. "Whatta'bout you?"

"WHAT ABOUT ME?"

"Your hand. Can't do much, but I can make it hurt less."

Papyrus flapped his hand, the uninjured one, as if he could wave away Red's concern. "I AM FINE. IT BARELY EVEN SCRATCHED ME. HARDLY WORTH WASTING MAGIC." 

"Yep. Sure. Don't mean you need to be in pain," Red replied. He didn't know why he was being so insistent. Maybe because Edge would do the same damn thing, pretend that everything was fine and he wasn't hurting when even someone who wasn't a Judge could see he was. "'Sides, I know me. Your Sans is goin' be pissed if you're hurt. I don't want get on that guy's bad side before I even meet him."

That seemed to do it. Papyrus sighed. "I SUPPOSE I CAN ALLOW IT THEN." He walked over to Red and offered him his hand. As if his injury wasn't a weakness for Red to exploit.

Red didn't exploit it. He was impersonal, but gentle as Red examined the damage, turning Papyrus's hand slowly this way and that. Despite Papyrus's words, his hand did not look good. The bone was blistered and sluggishly weeping marrow. He kept his touch light even as he hissed through his teeth. There was no way Red would be able to completely heal that much damage. "Shoulda let go of the collar sooner."

He didn't wait for a reply. Just pulled magic to him. It popped and snapped a few times, tiny fireworks of light that didn't do anything, until the magic settled into a steady wash of anemic green. It was always fascinating to watch as the little motes of magic clung to the wounds, building bone until the wounds grew smaller. Red couldn't close them completely. Green magic really wasn't his thing. But he could at least stop Papyrus from leaving smears of marrow on everything he touched.

All too soon the magic slowed. Red didn't push it, just let it fade. The bones in Papyrus's hand were still chalky with weird little divots where the blisters had been. Papyrus flexed his fingers. The motion was slow and stilted.

"AT LEAST LET ME GET YOU SOMETHING TO EAT," Papyrus said. He flexed his fingers again, and while they moved, it was obvious they were still bothering him. 

"Ain't gonna say no to food," Red replied. "What'cha got?"

"WE HAVE SPAGHETTI FROM LAST NIGHT, BUT THAT'S NOT REALLY AN EASY TO EAT FOOD," Papyrus replied. "WE ALSO HAVE PIE. SANS MADE IT."

"Pie is good." Sans made it? Red wasn't bad in the kitchen, but he wasn't exactly good in it either. Most of the things he made were simple and quick, designed mostly to get as much intent into a monster as quickly as possible. He certainly wasn't good enough to make something as complicated as a pie. That was more Edge's speed. "What kind?"

"RED FRUIT PIE. I AM SURE SANS COULD TELL YOU WHAT KIND OF RED FRUIT, BUT THEY ALL TASTE LIKE TOO MUCH SUGAR TO ME." Papyrus disappeared through a doorway. When Red leaned forward, he could see that it was a kitchen. The sound of pots and pans banging was strangely comforting.

"I ain't picky."

If he was smart, Red would use this time to poke around a bit. Dig up some dirt. Maybe find some incriminating evidence or blackmail material. It was easy to do when you could just teleport back to somewhere innocuous as soon as people became suspicious. Instead, Red laid his head back against the couch and stared up at the ceiling, letting his mind go blank.

That lasted right up until Red heard a distinct _bwip_ sound. It was strange hearing it when he wasn't the one doing the shortcutting. Guess the other Sans finally decided to make an appearance.

Red lifted his head and looked towards the door. The first thing he noticed was, strangely enough, the jacket. It was blue. Blue. Red hadn't worn something blue since he'd been in stripes. The second thing he noticed was the differences between them. No chipped bones. No cracked skull. No gold tooth. No eyes stained red with LV and determination. It was surreal. Like looking in a funhouse mirror and seeing a distorted reflection of himself grinning back at him. 

The surprise in his interdimensional clone's eyes flared before being replaced by something cold and hard. Slowly, Red stood up. Anticipation spiked through him. It wasn't quite an encounter. Not yet. But the threat of it hung heavy in the air between them.

Looked like they were going to have a pissing contest to see who was top dog. Red hadn't come here to fight, but he sure as hell wasn't going to back down either. Not to some soft loser who didn't even have a scratch on him.

"where is papyrus?" Sans asked. Red could feel it when the full weight of the Judge hit him. Holy shit. Was this what it felt like to be Judged? No wonder half the monsters he judged were driven to their knees. Sweat sprung up hot and sticky on his skull.

"In the kitchen," Red replied. His hands were in his pockets to hide the shaking. "You can go look if you want."

Before Sans could take him up on the offer, there was the sound of footsteps. "SANS. IS THAT REALLY NECESS-" Papyrus's words were cut off by a hiss of pain. Red tried to hide his wince, but wasn't successful. He could see it the second Sans clocked it even though his eyes had drifted to look at his brother.

"what did you do to him?" Sans's voice was low and threatening, and his eyes were black pits. Red kept his posture loose. Easier to dodge if he needed to. 

"That seems like a personal question given we just met," Red replied. Somehow he managed to keep his voice steady. Then, for maximum effect, Red waggled his brows just to drive home the point he was talking about sex. "I ain't the kind of guy to kiss and tell.

The noise Papyrus made – a cross between a scoff and a shriek – was so like Edge when he was younger that Red had to keep himself from turning to see if somehow he'd gone back in time. He kept his eyes on Sans though. It wasn't like Papyrus wasn't a threat, because Red had already made the mistake of thinking that once. It was more like he was a known threat. Sans was the one Red didn't know about.

"WE HAVE DONE NO SUCH THING," Papyrus yelled. "SANS. RED IS A GUEST. WE DO NOT THREATEN GUESTS."

"red huh?"

"You'd prefer Sans?"

"I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO ESCALATE THIS. I INVITED HIM HERE."

"you hurt my brother. so i'd prefer you not to be here at all," Sans replied.

"You think you can make me leave?" Red snorted. He shifted his weight back, bracing himself in case he needed to throw an attack. The Judge reared up in his head like a dog straining on a leash. "Like to see you try."

Papyrus stomped his foot. "SANS, STOP IGNORING ME."

Sans narrowed his eyes. The sudden rise in magic made everything seem sharper. More in focus. Red hated the feeling of coming violence as much as he craved it. LV pulsed through his soul in an incessant beat. Anxiety and satisfaction warred in him.

"knock knock," Sans said, in the classic opening of the joke.

As if in answer, there was a knock on the door. It was polite, but firm, and suggested that if the door was not opened, it would be removed from its hinges. The tension in the room didn't drop so much as shift. Sans looked like he couldn't quite believe the universe had somehow managed to pull out a better joke than he had. Red felt the beads of sweat on his spine trickle down one vertebrae at a time. He ignored it. Years of experience meant he had practice seeming to be in control when he was shaky from adrenaline.

Edge always did have impeccable timing. 

"Gonna answer that?" Red asked. His voice didn't shake at all, despite the fact that Red felt like he could jitter out of his bones.

"you know who it is." It was not a question. Red shrugged. He wasn't 100% sure, but he had a pretty good idea. For a long moment, Sans just looked at him with narrowed eyes. Seemed someone was reluctant to give him his back. Smart of him. Then Sans turned to answer the door, acting like he didn't think Red was a threat at all. He could have called Sans's bluff on that, but chose instead to grin instead.

His brother would take care of it if Sans was an actual threat to them. Red trusted his brother with his life. This situation would be no different.

Sans opened the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It is my firm belief that Papyrus has impeccable comedic timing while Edge has amazing dramatic timing.

**Author's Note:**

> The reason Sans is getting a Master's instead of a PhD is so he can be Comic Sans MS. You're welcome.


End file.
